All I've Ever Wanted
by LoveMelodies
Summary: Ever heard of Romeo and Juliet? They've nothing on these two. They were betrothed to marry from birth, but when her Kingdom was attacked by his, she was assumed dead in the slaughter. Will these two be able to find eachother and actually fall in love?
1. Prologue

**All I've Ever Wanted**

_A few notes for the curious reader,_

_First off, a big thank you is in order for you choosing to read this story. It's been living in my head forever, and it needs to be written down. Also, this story goes further back than the two main characters. So if you wish to understand all that has gone on it is highly suggested you read this opening so that you'll have the complete understanding of the situation. I promise it isn't pointless. If it was, why would I be writing it?_

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies_

It all started less than twenty years ago in the Kingdom of Aquane, when the peaceful kingdom was trying to maintain good connections with all the surrounding Kingdoms. Particularly, two Ladies of the Court were chosen to be betrothed to two Princes; One Prince from the Kingdom of Lumina and the other from the Kingdom of Celeste, and these two kingdoms were known for being at constant war with the other. One of these ladies was Yelan, who had come from a strong line of nobility, and she was chosen to marry a Prince eligible for his aging father's throne. Yelan's best friend was Nadeshiko, who happened to be the younger sister of the other Lady of the Court who was to marry the Crown Prince of Lumina.

Upon the announcement of the engagement Nadeshiko's elder sister, Nadori, refused to go through with the engagement because she was in love with another man who had no title. She had no formal way to escape the marriage, so she came up with a plan. She would send her little sister, Nadeshiko, in her place. Nadeshiko would pretend she was Nadori long enough for the Prince to decide if he wanted to go through with the marriage, and he of course would not want to because Nadeshiko would act like the immature girl she was at only fifteen. The alibi they told their mother was that Nadeshiko was only going to keep her sister company until the marriage. And all went according to plan, Nadori ran off with her love while Nadeshiko left for the Kingdom of Lumina.

And all would have gone smoothly if Fujitaka and Nadeshiko hadn't fallen in love with each other. Their falling in love meant that Fujitaka accepted the engagement to Nadeshiko, thinking she was really named Nadori and was five years older than she really was. And shortly after the engagement was accepted a letter was received by the kingdom of Lumina, that first had a heart felt apology that their eldest daughter Nadori had foolishly ran off to elope with a stable boy. Secondly, the letter inquired about their youngest daughter Nadeshiko, who was missing when she should have been with her elder sister. Having been found out and shamed, Nadeshiko ran off without a word to anyone.

She returned to her homeland with shame on her shoulders, because of her an alliance with Lumina was in danger. Her family was disappointed in her, as well as the entire Royal Court. She couldn't walk down the halls without hearing whispers that followed her. Nadeshiko confined herself to her room, eating hardly anything and letting in no visitors aside from Yelan for two reasons. One, because Yelan was the only one who knew the entire situation and how she felt and Two, because Yelan was to leave for Celeste shortly- a matter of days. When Yelan left, Nadeshiko thought she was all alone, doomed to the four walls that were her room.

Until one day, she was almost literally dragged out of her room to the main Court where standing there was her Prince from Lumina, Fujitaka. At first she thought he was angry at her, but he was upset they she ran away. He loved her because of who she was, not because of a name and a title; and he was upset that she didn't realize that on her own. In short, he wanted to marry the woman he fell in love with and wouldn't accept anyone else. So the two married happily the following spring, and she became Crown Princess of Lumina the Kingdom of the Sun.

As for Yelan? She was brought to the cold, Wintery Kingdom of Celeste. She was unaccustomed to the cold weather, being that her native Aquane was more tropical, and the cold personalities of half the people she encountered. Her husband was to be the stern Xiao Lang, the youngest of the five competing princes for the throne of their aging father. He accepted her, mainly for her shocking beauty, and to her he promised that he would be king. And he did become king, after he murdered his elder brothers and their families and after the alleged 'natural' death of his father; which all happened within the span of two years. But Yelan looked passed all that and somehow loved him, so much that she bore him a son with the promise that he would be the first of many. And she confided in him that she wanted the war to end so that she might see her best friend, who had by now had her own son whom she named Touya.

Xiao Lang heard his wife's plea, and he formulated it into his own plan. And it took him four more years until he was able to reach an agreement with Lumina. Peace would be brought by the union of his first son and Lumina's newly born Princess, who by tradition would not be officially named until six months after her birth for her Royal Presentation to the Kingdom. And so, four months flew by and peace was still lasting. With the upcoming event of the Naming Ceremony, both Kingdoms were full of excitement. Or at least the ignorant were. The night before the ceremony, Celeste launched a full scale attack on the unsuspecting Lumina. King Xiao Lang brought his wife with him when he stormed the palace and went straight to the Luminian King's bed chambers. She watched in horror as he killed the unsuspecting King and Queen.

When King Xiao Lang left the room, she ran over to her friend and the following scene played out:

"_Nadeshiko, Nadeshiko_" Yelan cried through her tears as she knelt beside her best friend's body. She had placed one of her hands on her friend's stomach with a piece of clothe so that she could apply pressure to the flesh wound. "_I'm so sorry. I never knew, I never knew. Never, never.. I would never.._"

"_Yelan, I-I know… I k-know_." Nadeshiko replied as out of her emerald eyes flowed crystal tears. Her expression was pained, and her appearance was dreadful. She had blood every where, some of her hair was even matted to her forehead with either her own blood or her husband's. Her thin white nightdress was stained with blood and torn, it clung to her body with all her sweat. She was beginning to shiver and her hands and feet had already started to go numb. She grabbed her friends arm and weakly pushed it aside, "_It's.. p-pointless-s. I-I'm dy.. dying_."

"_No not you, I won't let you_." Yelan cried as she forced her hands back on her friend's wound. Her hair was falling into her face and her tears were blurring her vision but she didn't care. "_This is my fault. I must have planted the idea in his head. You have to live. As long as one of the Royals is alive, that's enough to halt everything he's trying. He can't take over if you're alive._"

"_T-Touya_." Nadeshiko began as she attempted to sit up, but was only forced back down by her lack of strength.

"_He might have been killed too. There's no.. I have no way of knowing. The soldiers are everywhere, slaughtering everyone who won't pledge their loyalty to Celeste_." Yelan responded, before realizing just how terrible that sounded. Nadeshiko's son was hardly a year older than her own, and they were playmates. "_I'm so sorry Nadeshiko.._"

"_Sakura, S-Sakura_." Nadeshiko stated as her arm slowly rose and pointed to one of the doorways to the chambers behind her bedroom. "_The baby. S-Sakur-a_."

"_Oh, the baby? The baby! She's still alive? Back there?_" Yelan said as she shot up and began moving toward where Nadeshiko was pointing. The hallways were dark and she did not know the way, but she followed the cries of a baby until she found the child left unattended in a crib. Yelan grabbed a cloak and wrapped the child in it before running back into the room, trying to hush the baby. "See? Your Baby! She's here. And beautiful just like her mother. She even, even has your eyes."

"_Sakura.._" Nadeshiko whispered as she raised her closed hand to touch the baby's face as if in an attempt to help quiet her. It was her last breathe, and with that her arm fell down to the floor limp with her pink jade necklace of a cherry blossom falling out of her palm.

And so Yelan was hysterical, her tears falling as she held the child in her arms. The beautiful child who looked so much like her best friend. The beautiful child who was supposed to marry her son. The beautiful child that was supposed to maintain peace. She sat there for nearly an hour before she began to hear guards and soldiers storming the hallways again. She collected her emotions and analyzed the situation she was in. She wasn't going to very well leave her best friend's legacy here to be slaughtered by soldiers. She picked up the necklace and gathered up the child and ran to the horses. She took a carriage back to the docks, where their ships were. She gave the child to her trusted lady-in-waiting and together they smuggled the child into Celeste.

After that day, her love for Xiao Lang shriveled and it was said that her bitterness toward him is the reason why she could no longer bear anymore sons- or just children in general. But he got back at her, he took her son, Syaoran, away from her under an official order so that she wouldn't taint him with her femininity. Since he was his only son, he needed to be able to sculpt him into perfection and it was clear Yelan would be of no help. So Yelan raised Sakura as her lady-in-waiting.

_I'll leave it off right there. This is only the prologue after all, so you're not really meant to see where things start off at. In any case, I hope you enjoyed and will return for the upcoming chapters._

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies_


	2. A Day in Court

All I've Ever Wanted

"Did you have a good birthday yesterday Sakura? A whole fifteen years old!" An elderly woman with kind brown eyes asked as she opened the curtains to let the sunlight pour into the great bed chamber. She wore a worn blue dress with long sleeves and a big skirt that ended just under her ankles; it was accented with a white apron that had many smudges on it and the embroidered crest of the Kingdom of Celeste. Her dark gray hair was tied neatly in a bun at the nape of her neck and she wore no jewelry or make up; what need would a maid have of that stuff anyway? The great room did not belong to Sakura of course; she was nothing more than a mere Lady-in-waiting for Queen Yelan. But The Queen did permit for her Lady-in-waiting to have a small cot prepared in the room for the girl's use.

You must realize that Sakura's unconventional heritage could easily put her into danger had she dormed with all the other servants of the Celestian Palace. Those of Celestian descent do not look very much like Sakura; her features are too reminiscent of those from the Kingdoms along the seas; light hair, tanned skin, and vibrant colored eyes. Her slightly tanned skin and sun kissed brown hair already made her stick out, but her bright green eyes just make her too different to be acceptable as a common maid. Most common maids and servants of the Celestian Palace were Celestian, so they were very pale and had dark eyes and hair. So Sakura was kept close to the Queen who had smuggled her into the Palace, and if anyone ever raised a question about the girl's heritage they would simply say that she was an orphan of Luminian savages that the Queen had selflessly saved.

And because Sakura was raised in the Queen's close quarters, she was treated far better than any other Lady-in-waiting was; especially considering that for most of her life she was still too young to be a Lady-in-waiting for anyone. She was taught how to read, took lessons for the harp and in singing, and was fed proper food straight from the Queen's personal kitchens. She was also well clothed from the endless closets of the Queen; mostly from clothes the Queen had made when she was pregnant and expecting a daughter… but she had a son obviously. But that is not to say Sakura was spoiled, Queen Yelan made sure that did not happen. She treated the girl well, but there were limits. She couldn't very well have Sakura grow up to be a stuck up servant, especially because no servant has the right to be stuck up. And Sakura wasn't stuck up in the least, she was surprisingly very humble.

"You best wake up soon, the Queen already left to go to Court." The Elderly maid added as she moved to the next set of curtains and opened them up, letting more sunlight flood into the room. "She expects you to meet her there, the only reason she did not wake you up before was so that you might sleep in a bit. Almost like a last birthday present. So get up now."

"Oh Lian… I'm getting up. Slowly." Sakura replied a she sat up and tossed the old cotton blankets toward the end of her cot. She was squinting because of the sudden brightness of the sun that now engulfed the entire room. After rubbing her eyes for a few minutes, she rolled out of her cot and made her way toward her small wooden chest in the far corner of Yelan's room where she kept her small wardrobe. She fished out her own blue dress and apron and disappeared behind a dressing screen where she quickly changed. Sakura then walked out toward the large bay window as she combed her fingers through her long sun kissed brown hair which was nearly waist length. She braided her hair with ease and as she stared out into the snow topped mountains that surrounded Celeste, her emerald eyes sparkled. She let out a sigh, and reached toward the necklace of pink jade that forever hung around her neck. She brought it up to her lips and kissed it; it was just a habit that she developed ever since Yelan had explained it was a gift left for Sakura from her birth mother.

Of course, Sakura has no idea of her real birth family or origins in general. All that Yelan revealed to her was that both her parents died of unfortunate causes, she had a brother, and that the pink jade necklace was all that her parents left her. It might seem cruel that Yelan did not tell Sakura the full truth, but she was very young yet and finding out such a big truth would have drastic effects on Sakura. Not to mention the entire Kingdom. If Sakura owned up to her heritage, she could over throw King Xiao Lang's hold over Lumina. But she was still too young to be able to do any of that, Yelan always figured she'd reveal the truth to Sakura when she turned eighteen. That would be in three years, so until then Yelan would try to educate her to the best of her ability so that when she was old enough Sakura could take hold of her country with pride and skill.

"Alright Lian, I'll leave for court now." Sakura announced as she tucked back a few free strands of hair behind her ears and patted down her dress so that the creases would fade away a little bit. She then slipped on her wool knee high socks and her pair of brown shoes and began to make her way toward the door.

"Alright Sakura, but make sure you roll back down your sleeves. You know how inappropriate that is, especially in court." Lian reminded, knowing of Sakura's habit to adjust her clothes for comfort, "And do make sure you don't make a ruckus when you slip in. Just go straight behind the Queen and stand there like the good girl I know you can be when you try. Don't be a klutz."

"I know Lian, I know!" Sakura shouted as she rolled down her sleeves and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. She let out another sigh, and began to make her way toward the main room where Court was to be held. Court was a daily event, where all the Lords and Ladies and anyone of status would attend just to be involved in the happenings of the Kingdom. Most of the time, the people just attended to get a glimpse of the King who ran the country and his prized beauty of a Queen. That's not to say the people liked their King very much, they actually just went so they could gossip about what a fool the King was for cheating on her with various Ladies in the court. A few of those Ladies actually got pregnant and had children, unfortunately for the King they were all girls. So none of them could compete with the Crown Prince for his title.

After several long minutes of traveling through the various hallways and corridors of the Palace, Sakura eventually made her way toward the main hall. She slipped her way through the crowds of overly dressed Lords and Ladies and slowly made her way to the end of the room where three ornate chairs sat upon a slight podium, the thrones of course. In the center sat King Xiao Lang, to his right sat his only son Prince Syaoran, and to his left sat the bold beauty that was Queen Yelan. Sakura made her way toward them, and eventually took her place at the left directly behind the Queen. Most days she would just stand there patiently until Yelan raised her right arm ever so slightly, which meant that Sakura was summoned and would be assigned some small task such as, fetching her water or to remember something for her. Otherwise, Sakura would just stand and listen to the issues at hand.

Currently, the floor had been given to a somewhat well-to-do farmer who was trying to explain why this year's winter would effect how much crops he and all the farmers would be able to contribute to the palace for taxes. He was trying to convince the King that if the standards were lowered, all the farmers could manage to pay the tax as well as support their families. Sakura honestly felt for the man, he was just trying to get by.. but it did not seem like the King was even listening. When the farmer finished making his case, the King looked down at him with his nearly black eyes glaring at the poor soul.

"You dare to ask such a request of your King? Do I not protect your farms from invading forces?! I will not have a treacherous peasant try to tell me what to do." Xiao Lang yelled as he motioned his guards to come forward, "Take this traitor to the dungeon and alert the farmers that the tax has been raised. Failure to pay the tax will result in the loss of their land."

Harsh? Clearly. Unnecessarily Harsh? Obviously. But no one would dare say that out loud, they hardly dare say it in the silence of their own minds. Anytime anyone made a reaction against the King's opinion, that person would be jailed and most likely killed. The King clearly liked to make his subjects fear him, that's what made him feel in control. The only person to have ever stood up to him that was still alive was the Queen. He may be a fierce and controlling man, but he was smart enough to know that if he had the Queen removed, he would be causing a war with another kingdom which would lose him an ally.

The crowds watched as the poor farmer was dragged out of Court, most of them watching with a slight sense of sympathy. After a few moments, the crowd returned their attention to the King, awaiting for the next business to be brought up. An official stepped out from the crowd, and after unraveling a long paper with a list of today's events, announced the next person who was to take the floor. To everyone's surprise it was the Crown Prince himself. He stood up from his seat beside his father, and walked down to the center of the floor and faced him. The crowds erupted into whispers and it was no wonder why.

Prince Syaoran was not the Crown Prince, he was also extremely attractive and would be approaching marriage age within the year. He was currently nineteen and a very hot topic among any group of maidens. His features were in a word, perfection. From his firm jaw line to his high cheek bones, and not to mention those wondrous caramel brown eyes, he was a sight to see. And that's not even including his body, he was in excellent shape with all the activities he's involved in; such as fencing, riding horses, and karate. And it's needless to say that whenever he's practicing any of these activities, a crowd of overly perfumed girls from various ages follow.

"What's this that my own son has to request of me? Perhaps a bride? Too impatient to wait until your birthday?" King Xiao Lang quizzed as his stern brow raised ever so slightly. It was not an everyday occurrence that his son would ask anything of him, normally his son would just do all that he could to please his father.

"No Father. I request your permission to go on a journey to the Witch of the Wood and ask her to tell me what she foresees for my future." The young Prince asked in his strong voice, making numerous girls present at the Court swoon. "Once my journey is accomplished I will meet you in the Summer Palace that is Lumina."

"A journey to the Witch? Well my son, if you wish to see how many more Kingdoms we conquer you may see this Witch." King Xiao Lang replied quickly, without very much care. He was about to wave off his son, until the Queen interrupted him.

"And just who will be joining you on this journey of yours?" Yelan asked, her voice full of concern and her eyes full of worry.

"I will take a suitable amount of soldiers with me, no more than seven I should imagine. We shall travel on horseback the whole way and we will be heavily armed." Syaoran replied with rising annoyance. _'I came here for my father's permission not yours.'_ He thought as he awaited her response.

"Well that's all fine and nice, but how shall you eat?" Yelan began showing far more of her emotions than usual. She then turned her attention to her husband, "The last thing you and I want is for your only son and heir to die because of poorly cooked or lack of food. If he goes on this journey he should take a someone who would be a suitable cook and attendant for him. Only the very best for him, you know."

The King was now put into an awkward position. To disagree with his wife at all always cost him many of his subjects respect. But now that she was making a request about _his_ son and acting with all this concern, he had no way to refuse her. He let out a sigh and turned to his son, "Your mother is clearly right. The journey shall be permitted as long as your mother selects someone suitable to attend to you and your men."

With that the subject was close and the Prince, who was currently glaring at his mother, was forced to accept the guidelines for his journey. All he could do was pray that his mother chose a strong man to accompany him on his journey. The last thing he needed was someone weak that would only delay his journey. The Prince reseated himself beside his father, and Court continued as it usually did until noon when it was dismissed.

-

"But M'Lady, who shall you pick to accompany the young Prince?" Lian asked as she stirred some tea for Yelan who was seated in an armchair beside the fireplace in her bed chamber.

"I've thought it over many times, but I've come to a decision that I feel will have a very suitable result." Yelan replied as she took the tea and sipped from it. Her eyes then fell on Sakura who sat on the floor just beside her chair embroidering a handkerchief with the Crest of Celeste as she hummed quietly. Upon feeling eyes on her, the young girl looked up curiously at the two adults in the room who were looking at her. Naturally, she had not been listening to the conversation because she had all her concentration on her work.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as she sat down her work on her lap and an eyebrow rose up ever so classically clueless.

"I want you to accompany Prince Syaoran on his journey. You're quite capable in the kitchen and I'm sure you'll be no trouble at all, you're so tiny. I've already sent for supplies to be stored in a carriage which you will ride in, of course." Yelan replied with a big smile on her face. Naturally she had an ulterior motive, and her thoughts drifted to her best friend Nadeshiko. They used to talk for hours about how their children would get married so that they could be like sister. And there was a time when it looked like that would be true, but with the war and all… well you know.

"Me?!" Sakura squealed in surprise. She on the other hand had no idea of Yelan's motives, she could not get passed the thought that she was going to be in the presence of him for more than a few hours. She also knew that there were thousands of girls who would actually kill her for being allowed to spend time with him. "M'Lady, I could never. I'm hardly a cook and hardly capable of traveling."

"You shall do fine Sakura, I'm also having some simple cotton dresses made for you so that in the event your in town you might be able to blend into the crowds. Wearing a maid outfit from the kingdom is going to make you seem rich compared to the townsfolk." Yelan added with a bit of excitement, "I already have a bunch of things planned out. You have nothing to worry about."

Sakura tried to explain how nervous the whole thing was making her, but it was clear that Yelan's mind was made up and it was really no use arguing with her. She could only imagine how much more this would separate her from the other maids. Her living in Yelan's quarters had already separated her from them, but this would just rid herself of any chance of her being friends with any of them. Sakura let out a sigh and shook her head, hoping nothing too terrible would come from this. It's not like she asked for it to happen..

-

"She's making me take a child with me! You must be kidding me." Syaoran yelled as he pounced forward on his opponent while thrusting his fencing sword hard toward his opponent's neck. His opponent retreated and blocked his openings, he then thrust forward and hit the Prince straight in the stomach.

His opponent then removed his face mask and looked toward the Prince with his Black hair glistening in the sunlight. "Cousin, did you really expect her to pick some burly man to accompany you?" He quizzed as he let out a sigh and watched his breath rise in the cold mountain air.

"Eriol, I can understand maybe a strong grown woman, but I doubt that child has no idea how to even ride a horse. She'll have to ride with someone the entire time and there's no way I'll put up with that." Syaoran said with annoyance growing in his voice, this was just meant to be a simple journey. Adding a girl to it would just add complications.

"No one would. Didn't you hear that your mother's preparing a carriage for the girl and that'll be wear she'll leave food supplies for us." Eriol corrected, then immediately regretted it knowing how his cousin would react.

"A CARRIAGE?!" Syaoran shouted, throwing his sword down into the snow covered grass, "You must be kidding. The journey will take twice as long if we travel like that. I can't stand that woman. She wasn't involved in my life before, so why should she start caring now?!"

_Did you enjoy? Well I sure hope you did. I'd also like to mention that the attire worn in Celeste is sort of reminiscent of clothes worn in like Versailles, very ornate and big skirts and what not. Just not the powdered wigs and all sleeves are long, it is after all quite cold in Celeste. Showing more skin than your hands and neck exposed to the world would be considered very.. inappropriate. Also if I accidentally called Celeste, Celestia my bad. Originally I named it Celestia, but I changed it to Celeste. I tried to correct myself as much as possible, but I'm only human. A review now and then would be lovely… but I won't beg._

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies_


	3. And so, the journey begins

All I've Ever Wanted

"Come now Sakura, you must get a move on. They may leave at noon but I'd like you to be accustomed to your carriage and the layout. And I thought I might introduce you to a few of the soldiers who will be traveling along with you." Yelan said as she stood over the young maid and attempted to rush her along a bit.. but to very little effect. The young girl merely sat over her wardrobe trunk, looking through the cotton dresses Yelan had gotten made for her. Her emerald eyes sparkled like diamonds as she looked through the clothes made especially for her, she was so hypnotized by the clothes she had not even changed out of her nightgown.

"I'm sorry M'lady, but I just… I just." Sakura responded rather illiterately, the poor child was at a loss for words; she was just overwhelmed with happiness. The sun-kissed brunette continued to sift through the wardrobe trunk until she reached the bottom, where she found a gorgeous white gown with a small skirt that would reach the floor. It was clearly a summer gown, being that it was made of lighter material and colored so brightly. It was accented with white lace designed like cherry blossoms for the sleeves, neck line, and for the trimming of the skirt. Throughout the lace was a bright pink ribbon that weaved through it in the most elegant way. The young girl literally gasped upon discovering it, honestly what would a gorgeous thing like that be doing in a servant girl's trunk? "M'lady?" Sakura asked as she looked up at the Queen who stood over her.

"I just figured that you never know what situation you might be in, and that you must be prepared. Very logical, you know." Yelan explained, trying to sound very sensible but to very little affect. She was trying to use her stern attitude that she had picked up while living in cold Celeste, but she could not help but express her motherly fondness of Sakura.

"Or she just wanted to have a gorgeous dress made for you." Lian laughed as she appeared from behind a dressing screen with a towel in her arm. She had just set up a bath for Sakura, so that the girl might be clean for her journey because only the gods will know if the group will be lucky enough to encounter a hot spring or some clean body of water where they could bathe properly. "You'd best hurry your young self into the bath, lest all the water go ice cold on you."

"Oh, yes.." Sakura stated as she quickly rearranged the dresses back into the wardrobe trunk and stood up. She was about to run off to go bathe herself when she stopped, and turned around. She ran over to Yelan and threw her arms around her, "Thank you!" she exclaimed quickly, and then rushed off to her bath.

"What will you do without her? She's practically your own daughter and what mother would volunteer to send her off?" Lian said as she took one dress out of the girls trunk and began walking toward the dressing screen so that Sakura would change into that instead of her usual maid apparel.

"Because I want her to know him… her mother would have wanted her to." Yelan whispered as she turned around toward the fireplace to warm her hands. She was referring to her son obviously, it had always been the plan for the two children to fall in love and marry… unfortunately, not everything went according to plan. So this was the new plan, push them together and just hope for the best.

After Sakura finished off her bath, she changed into her plain cotton dress that was a light green color with very simple embroidery of yellow leaves trimming the neck, sleeves, and skirt. It, of course, came with a plain white apron which would cover the majority of the front of her skirt. The dress was long sleeved and it was cut modestly of course, she was after all a girl of only fifteen. When her hair finally dried, it was arranged in a very suitable bun well above the nape of her neck with a few shorter pieces hanging loosely about her face framing it.

"Now then, you're all prepared we'll make our way toward the stables where I've had a carriage all set up for you." Yelan began as she exited her bedroom with Sakura following only a half step behind her. As they walked through the various winding halls Yelan would make comments about the journey Sakura was going to embark on with the Crown Prince and his party; explaining what she'd be expected to do and what she was definitely to avoid. But to be honest, Sakura was not really listening… she was busy trying to keep her nerves from showing. As they walked through the halls she could tell all the lady's maids who passed knew where she was going and they hated her. She could simply tell by their hushed whispers and cruel stares that they resented her. Sakura simply reverted her gaze to the floor and her feet, it was easier that way.

When they finally arrived at the stables it was easy to tell which carriage was the one Sakura was going to be using. It was completely packed with various trunks and baggage of all sorts of shapes and sizes. It made Sakura's brows rose slightly, and made her even question if half of what was being taken along was necessary. She also wanted to laugh a little bit; the carriage Yelan had selected was technically not as ornate as the other carriages the Queen owned, but at the same time it was still far too elegant to pass along the roads without getting unnecessary amounts of attention. But the young girl couldn't very well say anything so she watched as the stable boys added a few extra trunks to the carriage instead.

"Now then, the only thing that's inside the carriage with you will by your wardrobe trunk. Most of the time they will be traveling so you'll have to occupy yourself with embroidery and whatever else you can come up with. Now the Prince is the only other person who is entitled to sitting in here as well and do try to not bring too much attention to yourself. Everything for cooking is attached to the back of the carriage so you need only grab it when you need." Yelan informed as she walked around the carriage pointing out each thing for the young girl. Eventually, she made her way back to the door of the carriage and opened it, "There are plenty of blankets under the seats so you can bundle up when it's cold."

Yelan paused then, as she looked down on the girl she had raised with an overwhelming feeling of concern. She was sending away her best friend's child, practically her own child, into the unknown. She smiled warmly and took off her own beige stole that was lined with fox fur and wrapped it around the sun-kissed brunette. "You'll be perfectly fine, I promise." Yelan said simply as she motioned the girl to go inside, "The knights will be arriving soon, and eventually so will my son. Be sure they eat well and that nobody gets sick."

"M'lady you're far too kind, I'll really do my very best to make sure everything goes right." Sakura replied eagerly with her voice dripping with sincerity. She stepped into the carriage and was about to sit down when she saw a beautiful caged cat like sitting in the red velvet seat across from her. She couldn't help but let out a small yelp, which received numerous laughs and stares from the stable boys hanging around.

"Oh my, I see you've met Kero." Yelan laughed as she peered into the carriage, "We're not quite sure what type of animal to label him as… You can tell he looks a bit like a cat but then he has those little wings on his back, and don't you let their size doubt you. He can fly quite fast. I plan to have him serve as a sort of messenger between you and I. Just incase there are any happenings that I should be aware of."

"Did you mention to her what I like to eat?" the small cat-like creature asked as it jumped around in the cage. The unexpected voice made Sakura react with another, but larger, yelp as well as jump up a bit.

"He also talks.. He's actually quite the chatterbox." Yelan added as she patted Sakura's hands in an attempt to have her calm down. She made a motion for the girl to sit down before continuing, "He's a glutton; He'll eat anything really so you don't need to be too concerned with what to feed him. Kero's a nice little creature, and I also figured he'd be decent company. And with that gorgeous yellow coat how couldn't you love him?"

The conversation was cut off when the sound of horse's galloping sounded from not too far away. Yelan's immediate reaction was to step away from the carriage and shut the door, right after giving Sakura's hand one last reassuring squeeze. The Queen then turned around to greet the group of knights who had come to join her son on his journey. The knights all dismounted their horses and gave the Queen a proper salute and bow. She acknowledged them with a subtle smile and a nod. After a few moments, another galloping sound was heard and around the corner came the Crown Prince Syaoran upon a pure white steed; the ideal picture of princeliness.

"Where's father?" Syaoran asked as he dismounted his horse, his question directed more toward the group of people standing about rather than his mother specifically. Nobody found it to be a surprise, on a regular basis he doesn't show the proper etiquette he's supposed to show his mother; he hardly even makes eye contact with her.

"He's busy." Yelan replied, returning her son's rudeness with the cold tone in her voice, "He sent me here in his stead to bless your journey, which I do. Now I have wished you luck, I'll retreat to the castle. Fare well."

The Queen swiftly made her way back toward the entrance, and upon her departure the group of men outside the carriage came together for last minute planning for the journey, which ended up becoming a conversation about the mystery girl inside the carriage. Yelan had shut the door before anyone had gotten a chance to even glimpse at what the girl might look like. The group did not even know what her name was..

"Listen to you, getting all excited. Watch her be a disgusting wretch, imagine how disappointed you'll be." Eriol exclaimed after listening to the other remarks of the knights. "Although, personally I would not mind if she was a beautiful little treat."

"Of course you wouldn't. You have quite the reputation with the ladies."A knight chuckled, knowing the vast history of Eriol's relations with women. Hell, everyone knew. At least half of the Lady's maids have had some sort of encounter with him and the other half he just hadn't gotten around to yet.

"Enough of this pointless chatter, we need to begin our journey. And since my mother has so kindly given us this unnecessary load to babysit, we'll have to men on either side to protect it. Had we been traveling lighter, this would be a lot different… but a large carriage decorated as this one is, will surely draw unwanted attention. So just get your gear together and we'll leave as soon as possible." The Crown Prince said using a sterner voice than usual. With that command, the men stopped their chatter and began to saddle their horses and prepare for their journey.

"He certainly sounds like a mean person if you ask me." The little yellow creature commented from the safety of the carriage as he floated over the emerald eyed girl's head. It didn't take very long for Sakura to accustom herself to the strange creature and within a matter of minutes they became friends. Currently, the two were glued to the small window of the carriage to see just who they'd be spending the next few weeks with.

"Well he might just be acting that way because of the people he's around. You can't be a softy around knights." Sakura said in an attempt to defend the princely stranger. All she knew was that he was Yelan's only son and that he couldn't be that bad of a person if he was related to her.. or so she thought anyway. In any case, she was giving him the benefit of the doubt which might be because of his devilishly perfect looks rather than his relation to Yelan.

"Hmph, maybe." Kero replied, genuinely considering what she was saying until he looked down at the human who was still staring intently at the Prince outside, "Wait a minute, are you blushing?"

"I don't know what you're tal-" Sakura began only to get cut off by the lurching movement of the carriage. The carriage had obviously been stationary so the sudden movement had caught the girl and creature by surprise and had also caused some things to fall out of place. Upon the movement Sakura had let out another signature yelp, "HOOOOOOOOOOEEE", and had managed to fall, not so, gracefully onto the floor.

"Keep making sounds like that and they're going to think you're crazy." Kero commented with a chuckle as he hovered above her, which only made her blush an even brighter red hue.

"Hush Kero! This is embarrassing enough!" Sakura exclaimed extremely embarrassed, but her complaint was met by little seriousness. Immediately after making the comment she started laughing, it must have been a ridiculous sound and sight as well. Luckily for her though, only Kero was around to see it… or so she thought anyway.

You see, upon hearing a yelping sound from within the carriage Eriol rushed his horse forward and peeked into the carriage to be sure that nothing had happened. Instead he saw a young girl who had clearly landed on the floor laughing with a strange creature hovering around. He let out a laugh, and after ensuring to the knights around that she was okay he galloped ahead to catch up with his distant cousin.

"She's quite cute actually, very young." Eriol stated as he eased beside his cold cousin, "With some creature with her, your mother must have given it to her to keep her company."

"Like I care. I just want to scare her, so that she'll ask to retreat back to the castle so she won't be my problem anymore." Syaoran replied not caring how cruel he came off. He was simply fed up with having to babysit the carriage, it attracts far too much attention and makes his mission three times more difficult than necessary.

-

After a few hours of traveling, it was clear that the sun was beginning to set. So they traveled until they spotted a clearing where they could set up camp for the night. Once there, a few of the men were setting up a few tents while others were gathering fire wood. The rest of them were out hunting for some fresh meat to cook, or rather fresh meat to have cooked. But while all the men were busy at work, Sakura was too shy to come right out of the security of the carriage. She knew she had a responsibility to start cooking, that was after all the entire point of her coming on this trip, but she didn't want to have to face a whole troupe of men that she didn't know.

"I'll come with you, so you won't be alone." Kero suggested as a means to get Sakura out the door. He figured that somebody, the prince in particular, might get angry and do only the gods know what. For extra assurance he tried nudging her forward with his head against her shoulder, not like it really moved her much; Kero is less than an eighth her size.

"I'm just trying to wait until they're not around. I don't want to actually have to face any of them, I don't know how they'll act." Sakura answered in a small voice, her fear evident at every word, "I'll just try to avoid they're gaze right? And you'll just distract them if they try to do or say anything, you know?"

"Fine, fine. Just get out there before somebody gets angry." Kero rushed her as he nudged Sakura forward again.

It took her a moment, but after exhaling she threw a worn blue cape around herself and stepped outside leaving Yelan's stole in the carriage where it was safe. Upon her first step onto the solid ground she surveyed her surroundings, everyone seemed pretty wrapped up in whatever task they were doing so she figured this was as good a time as any to begin cooking. Sakura made her way to the back of the carriage to where everything was stored. It took her a few minutes to maneuver her way through the mess of trunks and bags, but she eventually dug out a very large pot, in which she planned to make a thick stew of whatever game bird they caught for her to cook, as well as two smaller pots. She went over to the make shift fire pit that one of the younger knights had set up and put down her pots. She picked up one of the smaller ones, and walked over to the small river where they had settled by. She had to walk along the river a bit until she found a spot where the ice was broken, but once there she filled it with water and just as she was turning, her entire motion was stopped by a person standing directly in her path.

And naturally, knowing our Sakura, she was not at all slick and managed to spill the whole potful onto the feet of the person who bumped her. She immediately fell into a spell of apologies, she honestly could stop herself; the words just kept pouring out. And as she dropped to the ground to pick up the pot and sort of dry off the man's shoes she found that the body stooped down beside her to reveal a handsome face hidden behind the new fangled invention of spectacles.

"You need not apologize, my dear. I surprised you." The blue haired knight responded with a charming smile as he picked up the pot for her and stood upright. Instead of merely holding out the pot for her, he went so far as to refill it and walk it over to the fire pit for her.

Naturally surprised, Sakura slowly followed the knight back over to the fire pit and immediately thanked him, "Thank you very much sir, I truly appreciate your help."

"It's the very least I could do for a young maiden such as yourself." He replied, "But please, call me Eriol. Sir is far too formal for me."

"Oh, alright. Thank you very much Si-I mean Eriol." Sakura corrected herself. And then she stood there, unsure of what to say but certainly welcoming the human company; which is not to say the Kero was bad company, he just wasn't quite the same. She shook her head, realizing all the cooking she had left to do, and went back to the carriage to retrieve some vegetables and a small cutting board with a cooking knife. When she returned she found that the knight whom she had expected to have gone was still there, sitting on one of the logs that were placed as seating around the fire. "Oh?" Her littler mouth murmured in surprise.

"I thought you might enjoy some company whilst you cook… that and I figure I might as well get to know you since we'll be spending a lengthy amount of time together." Eriol explained sensing the young girl's confusion, "Now then, young maiden, tell me something about yourself?"

"Oh, well that's rather kind of you. My name's Sakura.. I've been in the Queen's service since I was no more than a toddler." Sakura answered with a small smile at the kindness she was unexpectedly receiving from this rather good looking knight. As she spoke she set up her cutting board on a log and began to cut various vegetables, like carrots, celery, and potatoes.

"Is that so?" Eriol began as his eyes refocused on the young girl working away, "Well that can't have been too long ago. You look very young."

"I'm not sure if you mean that as a compliment, I'm afraid." Sakura responded as she continued her work, tossing in the cut up bits into the biggest pot with the water now poured in it. "But I assure you sir, I'm hardly a child. I recently turned fifteen, hardly a week ago."

"My apologies, Miss. Clearly I was mistaken." Eriol said attempting to muffle a laugh; did this girl think herself a woman? She was clearly a child, her youth evident in nearly every aspect imaginable. He shook his head lightly then turned his attention back to the girl, looking at her through narrowed eyes, "Tell me then, would a lady such as yourself really prefer to live in the company of men so barbaric as us? Especially for so long, I'd wager that you'd leave and return to the comfort of your embroidery."

"Am I so transparent?" Sakura said hardly able to silence her laugh, if only this knight knew that in the spring she and Yelan would spear fish, sometimes even small game, just like woman of the Queen's native Kingdom of Aquane. "I'll do whatever my Lady asks of me, and she made the point that this mission is very important. She wants me to assure the Prince is properly sustained. Now if I ever wish to finish this meal for the lot of you, you'd best get on with whatever chore you're skipping out on."

"Whatever shall please the Lady." Eriol replied through gritted teeth as he slowly backed away from the fire pit area.

"A strange conversation if I've ever seen one." Kero stated as he appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He sat himself down on the log beside the cutting board as he watched, almost as if he was hypnotized. His stomach growled loudly, clearly he was hungry, but he didn't say anything hoping Sakura would catch the hint.

"Agreed. I'm not really sure what to make of it." Sakura nodded as she handed Kero a fair sized piece of carrot, then shrugged and continued her work.

-

"I don't think she's just going to up and leave. It'd probably take some effort to scare her off." Eriol reported as he sat in a makeshift chair in his cousin's tent, while his cousin preoccupied himself looking over various maps left open on the table with various knick knacks.

"She just said all that because she wants to sound faithful. You have to think of the typical conniving maid, especially in this kingdom. She's just sucking up to my mother, maybe she'll get a husband or something as a prize for spying on us." Syaoran explained, his voice full of disgust and annoyance.

"Or maybe she just wants to be nice and helpful." Eriol suggested. Though he was a native of Celeste, he liked to believe that there has to be some kindness in the world.. he wasn't into the whole cold attitude that most of the kingdom adapted to throughout the years.

"Oh please. Everyone has a hidden agenda Eriol, this isn't some fantasy world." Syaoran scoffed, giving his cousin a hard look. All Syaoran wanted to do was focus on the mission, find out his future, and become whatever he had to be to gain favor with his father. He was sure that the famed Witch of the Woods would be able to read him his future exactly how he figured it.

-

_Late? Yes I know. My deepest apologies. But I do hope you'll forgive me and enjoy this new chapter. I tried making as long as I could, but I'm afraid even I tire of knowing what to write. In anycase, enjoy and how about a review every now and then? I'd appreciate it._

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies_


	4. Truth be Told

All I've Ever Wanted

"Honestly, I think it will be much simpler if I just have as little contact with them as possible." Sakura stated as she cleaned up the remnants from breakfast. The men were all busy packing up their horses and cleaning up camp, that she and Kero were left alone. "They're always giving me such.. such strange looks. Have you noticed?"

"You're like a foreign concept to them, especially in this atmosphere." Kero responded, trying to speak as gently as possible to the young girl. How to explain the allure she unknowingly emitted was not exactly a simple task, she was too naïve and young to understand the entire concept.

After that day, Sakura had figured out a fairly secure schedule of what time she should do what in order to have minimal contact with the strange knights; you must recall that she grew up in Queen Yelan's care and her interaction with the opposite sex was severely limited. When the carriage stopped for the night, Sakura would wait around ten minutes before emerging out to prepare the meal. Normally by the time she got out the necessary pots and what not, a fire pit would have been set up so she could begin cooking straight away. While she worked, Kero kept very close guard on her to ensure there would be no unwanted company. Most times, the flying cat creature would take something from anyone who approached so they'd be distracted trying to get their item back, rather than attempting to interact with Sakura while she worked.

By the time Sakura finally finished cooking a meal with whatever game the men got for her, she would take a small portion for herself then retreat again to the carriage and swiftly shut the door. She and Kero would eat inside, mindlessly chatting away with whatever they could come up with to talk about. But they would never be too loud, they'd listen carefully, waiting for the grouping of men to finish their meal. Sometimes they'd be done very quickly and be away in their tents within minutes, other times Sakura would have to pinch herself just to stay awake and wait for them to finish. Once they were all gone, she'd silently get out of the carriage and clean up all the pots and pans left behind. And once she was done with that final chore she would retire to the carriage for the night. During the day Sakura had nothing to worry about, the men would wake up on their own and retrieve whatever small provision, like apples or some other fruit, they wanted from the back of the carriage and they would be out on their way.

The daytime was when she was safe, no one would bother her and she and Kero were safe. As for the men, most of them hardly gave it a second thought.. but of course our young prince was slowly becoming more and more distraught. Sakura's precise schedule prevented him from being able to figure out just what would get this _child_ off his hands. He could always guess, but that was not his style, there was not assurance… no guarantee and that bothers him. Syaoran was raised to be a perfectionist and trying to rid this nuisance without a well researched plan was not his style, so after two days of travel he came up with a simple enough plan… an experiment really.

"Eriol, how has your stomach been feeling?" Syaoran asked as he slowed down his pure white steed to match the pace of his cousin's black horse with a white crescent moon on its forehead. It was already midday, so they had been riding for quite some time though they still had a few hours left before they could even think to begin to look for a clearing to settle for the night.

"What are you talking about?" Eriol responded with genuine confusion, his thoughts were actually on one of the maidens he had charmed a few months back. Such a pretty lass with all the features he liked and such a shame he could not remember her name. He shrugged slightly, then redirected his focus to his cousin beside him.

"I've a plan." Syaoran began, lowering his voice hardly above a whisper, as he sped up his horse slightly, "Since the girl has so cleverly evaded our attempts at observing her, so that we might figure out how to scare her off, I figure we must force observance upon her."

"Speak plainly cousin, your attempts at making this sound elaborate are failing." Eriol replied as her rubbed his temples, "Be blunt."

"We say that your stomach is aching, you don't know how or why but it hurts you. And it'd relax it best if you were sitting comfortably in a carriage, rather than the strenuous position riding a horse puts you in." Syaoran explained, being careful not to use any unnecessary word, "This way you might talk to her and get some perspective on how we should rid her from us. In no time you will be able to tell us if she is a squeamish sort of child or something like that."

"This makes me sound like a rather pathetic fellow. I am a man, give me some credit here!" Eriol said with his annoyance apparent in his voice. In his head, Eriol had a reputation to uphold and acting like he was injured would only tarnish it.

"Please. If you had to do this act to catch the attention of some fair maiden, you would do it without a second thought." Syaoran scoffed as he rolled his amber eyes, "Just do it already."

"Fair enough." Eriol sighed knowing it was pointless to argue with Syaoran, granted that this time he didn't really have an argument. He rolled his head and cracked his knuckles in preparation, but all he did next wasn't anything amazing.. it was actually quite childish. Pathetic even. He merely began to whine and complain about a strange pain that was suddenly ailing him. At first it was ignored, but the more he continued the more annoyed the group got until they eventually stopped to see what was going on. His acting technique wasn't even that terrible, his hands clutched his stomach and he sounded as if he were in genuine pain; had he been missing a limb or been stabbed a few times in the chest his screams would have been believable and appropriate.

"Why've we stopped?" Sakura asked as she felt the sudden halted stop of the carriage. She had been in the middle of embroidering a handkerchief with the insignia of the kingdom of Celeste.

"From what I can tell there's some commotion in the front." Kero answered after he flew up to the window to try and see what was going on. "It's too far ahead, I can't quite see what's going on. But I think, if I'm not mistaken, somebody's screaming.. or a horse is giving birth. One or the other…"

"Should we go check what's happened?"Sakura asked as she edged over to the window behind Kero and struggled for a view.

"I'm not really sure what help we'd-" Kero began but was interrupted by the Sakura getting up and opening the carriage door. She promptly hopped out, without the aid of a man mind you, and silently walked over to the crowd of men. As Kero followed her by a safe distance, she squeezed her way past the crowd toward the center where the sound was coming from. And there, crumpled on the ground, lay Eriol clutching his gut and making all these claims about his stomach.

"Ah yes, young lass, could you be the one to figure out what ails my cousin?" Syaoran asked as he glared at the auburn haired girl. He stood totally opposite from where she stood, all the way on the other side of the crowd, but he was up front enough for her to be able to see and hear him well.

"My Lord, I'm nothing more than a Lady-in-Waiting, dealings with illness are not what I was taught to deal with." Sakura said as she stepped forward a little bit, so that she could change the angle she was looking at the pathetic nobleman. But just as she said this, in a very reassuring tone that made it clear she had no experience, the man began his yelling again.

"It feels as though my insides are trying to fight out of my stomach!!" Eriol yelped as he rolled around on the ground a little. "Feel my stomach! Can you not feel that?! It's like.. like.. something's trying to punch it's way out."

"Child, we are men, unprepared to care for anyone… let alone someone in pain."Syaoran began in a very stern tone. He then paused for classic dramatic effect and turned his full gaze upon Sakura, "At the very least, it would make more sense for you to keep a watchful eye over him than for him to continuing straining himself riding horseback."

"Well, my lor-" Sakura attempted to defend herself, but not exactly being forceful in her response she was easily cut off.

"You there, help my cousin into the carriage and be sure he's comfortable enough." Syaoran commanded as he turned his back on the young servant girl to order around a few of the knights who stood around crowding the scene. "Once he's all settled we'll continue on our way."

"This is ridiculous." Kero stated as he hovered over Sakura's shoulder.

"Where did you come from!?" Sakura whispered as she turned around defeated and walked toward the carriage, trailing behind the group of knights who were handling Eriol.

"I followed you out, smart one" Kero replied, "But he's perfectly fine. Half the pain he's describing just sound like what a pregnant woman would say when the babe in her stomach starts kicking."

"You shouldn't say that.." Sakura scolded but paused, as she gave the suggestion a small bit of thought, "Well maybe, but maybe he really just has some bad cramps."

"Ahh, right. So then he is like a young girl when she has reached her special time of the month."Kero continued, he was already convinced of the lack of true pain there was in the 'ailing' knight.

"You're terrible." Sakura responded, but made no effort to correct her flying companion. While the point he was trying to make was rather crude, there was some believable underlying concept to the point Kero was trying to make. Sakura was admittedly nervous, never had she ever been alone with a man in a small confined space and to top it all off she was unchaperoned. She shrugged slightly as she stepped out of the way for the knights to pass her by then approached the carriage door. Kero flew inside before her, but she froze for a second and glanced back at the group of men ahead of her and she sighed. She could plea her case of how improper this was, but she knew well enough by now that Prince Syaoran would not hear her out. Shaking her head, she entered the carriage and shut the door behind her.

Sakura took her usual seat and Kero sat beside her, the only thing different was that across from her sat a rather smug looking knight in full armor. She shyly smiled at him for a half second, and then turned her attention to Kero. From a compartment beneath the seat she retrieved an apple and gave it to the small creature in an attempt to cure his insatiable hunger –it didn't work, but at least she tried. The majority of the ride from then on was an uncomfortable silence. She restrained herself from looking across at the man who sat there, because the few times that she actually had he was staring and that made her feel .. uncomfortable. So instead of engaging him in polite and pointless conversation, she averted her attention to the tedious task of embroidery.

"And here I thought you said you were not one for embroidery." Eriol said coolly as he noticed the young girl begin to worth on a new handkerchief.

"Hoe?" Sakura blurted in surprise of the knights sudden comment. She looked up at him and then shook her head, "M'Lord, I never said that, you twist my words."

"Well I thought it was safe to assume that since you insist on staying you must enjoy being like the boys or something of that nature." Eriol corrected attempting to sound mischievous while looking down his nose at her through his spectacles.

"If I recall my own words correctly, I told you I was ordered by my Mistress to take care of her son and all those who accompany him on this journey to the Witch of the Wood." Sakura replied with clear annoyance that she did not even try to conceal. This time when she glanced up at him she met his gaze twice over, then flicked her eyes back down to her work, "I'm faithful to whatever my Mistress requests of me, I owe her my life."

"Right then," Eriol began as he turned his sight of vision out the curtained window of the carriage, " so then would you not prefer to be with her right now then with a gang of unruly men? Say the word and I can take you back to her as swiftly as an eagle."

"Of course I would love to be back in her company and care, but that is not my choice to make," Sakura said as her fierceness grew, "She is my Mistress, practically raising me from birth. If it pleases her for me to attend to this matter then I shall do it. My returning to her would only lead to my receiving her disappointment in me and that is the last thing I want."

"But if I could assure you she would no-" Eriol tried to continue but Sakura's fierceness had reached full and she did not even try to restrain herself.

"Really Sir? You insist on these questions that simply go in circles. Have I not made my point clear enough for you?!" Sakura exclaimed holding no thought back, "You're ridiculous sir. And you must think me a fool, because you insult me if you really think I would believe you are sick when you have not utter a sound of pain since you entered this carriage. So how about you tell me the real reason why you hijacked your way into this carriage, lest I inform the Queen of your attempt to.. to.. defile her young Lady-in-waiting."

"My young Lady, there is no need for you to go so far as to ruin me with these lies." Eriol responded a bit too quickly, he might have sounded cool had he taken his time but her threat struck a cold fear through him.

"As far as I know it is not a lie." Sakura defended herself swiftly, knowing that she had the upper hand in this situation, as she rustled through her belongings to find a piece of paper, writing quill, and a jar of ink. "Now tell me the truth as to why you are here or I swear I shall right the letter right now."

"Please, do not go to such lengths. I beg you." Eriol immediately conceded as he saw what she was doing, "But if I reveal the truth to you and you tell anyone that it will surely mean my reputation in some respect."

"If you really tell me the truth behind your rash and ridiculous action, I will swear upon all that I own that I will not tell a soul. I merely want the truth, that is all." Sakura answered the begging man's plea, she could not stay angry at anyone for very long. She was a naturally compassionate person, and though she was annoyed she could not go without giving him a chance, "And Kero won't say a word either, will you?"

"..what?" Kero yawned as he lifted his head from his nap. "Yeah whatever just talk quietly." And with that the small creature flew to the compartment under Sakura's seat and buried himself in the blankets stored there.

"I was ordered to do the miserable act, and even the one from earlier in the trip, by my dear cousin." Eriol explained as he talked in a hushed tone and shifted her gaze to the windows in paranoia. "As you might have guessed he is not thrilled to have you around, he merely wishes to have you leave our company so that we might go at his desired pace. You must understand how much more difficult the entire situation is when we travel with such a heavily loaded carriage."

"If speed is what he asks, then why don't we just simply lessen the load of the carriage.. or have me ride a horse." Sakura suggested as she looked at him quizzically.

"A woman riding a horse? This is hardly the proper situation to accommodate side saddle. In anycase, he is also wary of women of the court regardless their position." Eriol proceeded informing the young girl, finding it very easy to come clean with all the secrets he was keeping. "He knows that most women just want to improve their rank, and the last thing he wants is another girl trying to get him as her husband. So tell me truthfully, are you trying to attract him to you or something?

"Attract him?" Sakura laughed rather unladylike and more childish, "I can guarantee upon the stars in the sky that I have no intention of even getting to know the Prince in such a manner. To be frank I think he is pompous and spoiled, and I would rather not be involved in dealings with him. I told you why I am here, and there is no underlying reason of looking for a husband in anyone here, especially the Prince."

"I shall trust your honesty, as long as you have trusted mine." Eriol smiled, truly believe her statement while attempting to turn back on his usual charms.

"Might I then ask you a question?" Sakura requested as she readjusted herself in her seat to get a bit more comfortable, "It is the very least you could do.."

"Oh? Well if my Lady requests anything of me, how could I refuse?" Eriol answered with his words covered in his sweet charm that would make most women swoon.

"You cannot really be this ridiculously flirtatious can you?" Sakura asked in her polite voice to try to cover up her boldness, "I know I have not really known you for that long but I feel I must ask. It just seems like your overcompensating.. Why must you try so hard? Such things, I would expect, should not be forced, but rather come naturally."

"P-Pardon?" Eriol squeaked as he looked at the girl seated in front of him with great surprise. Never in his life did he expect someone to actually catch onto his secret act. Only his cousin knew the true motive to his actions, but how could this maiden who had only observed him for a matter of days be able to zone in on such a thing?

"Do you wish to not.. come out, as they say?" Sakura said quietly, she had heard about men in other nations who's feelings go to the company of other men rather than women. She had always assumed it was nothing more than rumors, but if this were true this would be her first meeting with someone of this strange lifestyle. "I assure you, I'll judge you no differently. You are still are strong and respectable knight."

"What!?" Eriol yelped as he looked utterly shocked at Sakura, "I can assure you to the utmost extent that I am not… one of those."

"Then do you really act so 'charming' naturally? This is not some strange act?" Sakura quizzed, somewhat relieved for his own sake, that small difference in lifestyle for him could cause him to be the center of much ridicule.

"I feel as though I now must tell you the truth, just to assure you of my.. preference." Eriol murmured as he shook his head and ruffled his own hair. He then paused for a moment, just so that he might remove his spectacles to clean them off a bit. Once back on he looked to the girl across from him with a different look in his eyes that Sakura could not quite pin, "There is a maiden, a gorgeous one at that. She is talented in anything she attempts and she has a voice that I'm sure the angels themselves would envy."

"Then if there is such a maid, why do you act as you do?" Sakura inquired, now recognizing the look in this poor man's eyes. He loves this mysterious girl, whoever she is.

"It is as simple as it is forbidden." Eriol sighed, mentally frustrated at the situation with this young lady, "Not only does she lack the appropriate ranking for my family to even consider her as a match, but she is of what my father refers to as 'inferior blood'. She is a mere lady-in-waiting of Luminian decent and because of that I must redirect my attention elsewhere. "

"I see.." Sakura nodded as she slowly began to grasp the situation, "but that does not answer why you act as you do.."

"That is simply because I do not need my comrades to realize just how difficult it is, a few knew about my infatuation with her when it started a year ago, so it is simpler now to just act as if I am over her then have them talk about it." Eriol expressed the truth with such sorrow in his eyes, Sakura could hardly bear to see so much pain in his face.

Frowning, Sakura set down her long abandoned embroidery beside her and moved so that she was sitting beside the blue-haired knight. Unsure of how appropriate any action was, she simply place her hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You have revealed much to me, and for that I give you my utmost respect and secrecy. Your words shall be safe with me." Sakura assured him and then let a small moment pass before thinking up what next to say. "So have you given up all hope on this beauty?"

"Never." Eriol answered hardly a second after Sakura asked, " My parents and society may look down upon me, but I intend on marrying her. For now, I humor my parents and let them set up these meetings with young ladies who wish for me to better their rank, but be not fooled. I have no intention on losing hope on this girl. If only you could see her, she has the most gentle features and the most striking violet eyes."

"You love her." Sakura stated with a smile, "I wish the very best for you."

The two continued a much more comfortable conversation and overall environment for the remainder of the days passage. They got to know each other rather quickly and by the time the carriage came to its bumpy stop they could call each other friends. Knowing his place, Eriol immediately exited the carriage upon its arrival on the camping grounds for the night but not before bidding Sakura a good day like a proper gentleman.

"We pegged him wrong Kero, he is very nice." Sakura stated as she pulled out the blue cloak Yelan had given her and wrapped it around her shoulders, preparing herself for the cool temperature that awaited her outside her small carriage.

"Yes, he seems like a good person just a little misguided." Kero agreed as he floated to face level with his friend.

"Exactly, now to dinner." Sakura stated after they had waited the usual ten minutes.

-

While the group of knights was eating their supper and Sakura and Kero had retreated back to the safe warmth of the carriage, Eriol was meeting with Syaoran who was eager to find out what information his cousin had gathered for him. He waited for his cousin to begin to talk as he nibbled his meal while looking over a few more maps to ensure they were on course.

"She won't leave. She has made it crystal clear she was ordered to be here and I that she will not relent on any of our attempts to rid us of her." Eriol reported as he took a seat on one of the stumps that was conveniently placed in his cousin's tent. "But she is not after you at all, to be honest we should have realized it. After all, she is just a child. What interest would she really have in marriage yet? She needs to grow up a little more for it to be even the slightest bit believable for her to be thinking like that."

"Has she enchanted you?" Syaoran demanded after the longest and most uncomfortable of silences, "A few hours ago you were on my side wanting to be rid of her. What is this change of heart?!"

"It is as simple as I talked to her cousin." Eriol responded, "She is trying to be of as little trouble as possible. She means to be of help in all that she does for us."

"I've heard enough, just leave." Syaoran retorted in disgust as his amber eyes flared furiously at his 'trusted' cousin.

-

Long after dinner was served and cleared, the camp had said their goodnight and went off to bed. The knights who were assigned to watch took their positions by the Prince's tent, while everyone else rested their eyes and minds of the day. The nighttime was soothing, the gentle coos of the animals within it and the friendly light the stars gave made the night even better than most. Long into the night, while all the knights were long asleep and the young girl passed out on the floor of her carriage-home, the night's silence seemed to change to something unsettling.. not that anyone in the group noticed, they were after all sleeping.

"Spot that there mates?" A rough voice said from somewhere in the wilderness not far from the campsite. "That be a fine carriage stocked to the heavens with what has got to be treasures."

"What do you suggest we do?" Another bodiless voice asked from amongst the trees.

"What we do best, lad." The first voice cackled, "Everything ought to sell for a fine price and we our band of men shall have us a fine visit to the bar and brothel."

-

_Forgive my tardiness. I tried to make up for it by making this chapter longer, and staying up to 2:43 am writing this. I assure you right now that I am trying to finish this tale before college starts in September, so expect updates to be faster.. just don't hold me too tightly to my word. I can only do so much and you know I do enjoy having a life.._

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies._


	5. Fear in the Night

All I've Ever Wanted

"Kero just wait but a moment and I'll have all the blankets spread out on the floor for us." Sakura sighed as she attempted to set up a makeshift bed on the floor. A normally simple chore was made far more difficult by the sleeping yellow creature resting on top of the bundle of folded blankets.

"Yeah.. sure." Kero murmured as he cuddled himself further into the pile of sheets and comforters, if you saw him you would swear he would purr… a shame he's not really a cat.

"Wake up Kero!" Sakura exclaimed slightly more aggravated. She was already dressed in a plain white shift dress that reached all the way down to her ankles. The most intriguing part about her simple night gown was that it was actually sleeveless. It may not sound like a big deal to somebody from a sea kingdom like Aquane, but being that she was technically someone of a kingdom as strict with etiquette and morals as she was a sleeveless anything seemed taboo. But being that it no one else would see her, Queen Yelan permitted such a dress to be made, knowing that the Summer Kingdom that was once Lumina was much more tropical than wintery Celeste.

"Right, right. Just do me a favor and hurry up with the bed making please, I'd like to resume my eighteen hour sleep schedule as soon as possible." Kero relented as he lazily flew beside his friend.

"Well gee your highness; I'll take my time if I please." Sakura laughed as she gave him a playful look. She then unfolded a few blankets and spread them out across the floor so that it would be suitable enough to act as a bed. As soon as it was set up, Kero wasted no time plopping down onto a pillow and using one of the handkerchiefs that Sakura had finished embroidering as a blanket. Sakura then laid herself down across the floor of the carriage and huddled under a thick blanket that had been packed for her use. She then let out a yawn and snuggled herself into the mass of sheets and blankets, so that she might fall into her usual heavy sleep.

-

Inside the grandest tent in scale paced the chocolate-haired Prince, thinking to himself of what exactly he should do to rid his company of that female nuisance and her annoying large load of a carriage. The mere thought of the auburn haired maiden made him infuriated to a level he could not quite put into words. He figured the reason had to be that his overbearing mother had managed to get one of her little spies into his journey, though he never really thought his mother would stoop to such a level. Syaoran let out a loud sigh, giving into his restlessness and glanced around the space of his tent. He shook his head as he got back up and retreated to his makeshift bed, but as he lay there he could not help but have a strange feeling all about him.

"It must be that stupid girl's presence that's throwing me off." Syaoran muttered to himself in the darkness of his tent, then he rolled himself over and attempted to force himself to sleep.

-

"But Sir, how do we approach it? The tents are filled with knights, who have to have been extensively trained to be trusted to be guarding such a fine carriage." A smaller voice asked nervously. His curiosity and fear was evident in his voice, anyone would have been able to peg him as a beginner to this trade of robbery.

"Lad, knowing there be so many Knights surrounding the load is our insurance that this heist will be worth the effort." An older and bolder voice insisted, then turned to make various bird calls to gain the attention of the rest of the bandits in his crew. "I know you are young, but this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn the tricks of the trade my boy. Now quit ya blubbering and start making your way over to the tent."

"You know I can't hijack the thing me-self. I'm only one man." The small voice replied, his incompetence was unbearable and it was amazing the Leader hadn't ditched the poor lad.

"I ain't an idiot. I'm going to be accompanyin' ya just to make sure nothing goes wrong. We'll simply get the two guards by surprise and quickly disarm them and we'll 'ave no worries. The rest of them will hitch up the carriage and clear a proper escape for the lot of us." The leader explained with clear frustration, he then turned over to his young comrade and promptly hit him on the back of his head, "Now get a move on lest I do worse to ya."

And with that a mysterious plan was put into motion. If the group of men, all ragged and sinister, were to be analyzed by anyone, it would be assumed that they were incompetent and nothing more. But as it is said, one cannot judge a book by its cover. Regardless of their shagged appearance they were efficient and direct with their plan. The larger half of the group were assigned to the taking care of the most important matter; the carriage. After all, they believed that inside the ornate carriage would be riches enough for them all to share. The group may not have been the smartest, as they did not actually make the point to at least peek into the carriage, but they had the carriage all hitched up to a few horses and a pathway cleared away in a matter of minutes.

The other group, on the other hand, was a much smaller mass compared to the other group. There were only two of them, but that was all that they needed for the minor detail they were to take care of. The two men crept up to opposite sides of the large tent that housed the Prince, because it was there where two knights remained awake to protect him. Their mission would be simple, all that they had to do was disarm the two knights so that they could signal the others when to get away. So the two men crept up silently, the first knight to go was the one on the right. The owner of the commanding voice was the culprit who took out the knight with one swift movement; he simply got behind him and hit two pressure points on his neck so that the body suddenly went limp and the person would lose all consciousness. He then gently caught the knight whose body as it fell backwards and then he dragged the body backwards into the woods to tie him to a tree just to ensure that the knight wouldn't surprise anyone.

The inexperienced bandit had been instructed multiple times on what to do, he had even practiced on various members of the gang just to be sure that he entirely grasped the concept. He had been thoroughly prepared for this responsibility and if he did this properly he would receive so much respect and honor from the entire band of thieves. So he was naturally nervous beyond belief, to him there was so much riding on this one act and he was unsure how to channel his nerves. He stood behind the knight, creeping up quietly enough for him to be confident that he had not yet cost anyone the mission. He then managed to disarm the knight as precisely as he had been instructed. The young man even smiled when he watched the body begin to fall, unconscious which meant that there would be no more cause to worry.

"Boss! I've done it! Tell 'em to be off now!" The young man said practically seconds away from jumping in the air with his giddy pleasure and across his tan and battered face stretched a great yellow-toothed smile.

"You fool! The body!" The elder man exclaimed in the loudest whisper possible as his eyes watched in horror as the knight's body fell to the ground. And as if the loud thunk of the man's body hitting the cold hard ground was not enough, the Knight's heavy metal armor and sword all clattered together making an even louder ruckus.

"Bullocks." The younger man cursed as he watched in fear of what he had just done, or rather forgot to do. But he then paused, and looked around the surroundings in a frenzied panic. He noticed that there was no immediate response and turned to his superior hopeful, "Perhaps.. no one heard?"

"What in the world is going on out there!?" Boomed the voice of a very angry Prince who had just been awakened after finally getting himself to rest. He had gotten up and stormed out to the opening of the tent, throwing the would be doors far out of the way. And upon the Prince's outburst, the sound of the other knights stumbling about the darkness that was the inside of their tents could be heard.

Now the Prince is no fool by any stretch of the imagination, but he had been resting so it must be taken into account that he was a tad disoriented and therefore not on his best game; in short his normally sharp instincts were slightly duller than usual. Syaoran looked around and immediately noticed that outside his tent lay the body of a knight and he also noticed that the other guard outside his tent was missing. He obviously picked up on the fact that something was wrong, as it is not everyday a guard decides to blatantly nap whilst on duty under the Crown Prince. In a matter of moments, Syaoran drew his sword and his eyes searched his surroundings as sleepy guard finally crept out of their tents.

"We've one man down and another missing-" Syaoran boomed in a loud and most serious voice, but he stopped short upon noticing a shaking thief standing a few feet behind the fallen knight. He seemed to have been frozen with shock and fear. But again, being a little disoriented, the prince failed to notice that the shadows were moving..

In any case, the knights seized the poor shivering man in a matter of seconds and attempted to question him when they heard the sound of a few horses whinnying and then galloping hooves against the partially frozen ground. And for a moment it seemed as though time itself stood still; the group was faced with the realization that they had been fools for not keeping a closer watch on all that belonged to them, which was the carriage. It had been parked a little less than twenty feet from where everyone else had camped out, and from where nearly everyone stood they could watch as the carriage was driven away with at least three men actually on top of it and a few others following it on horseback. After the moment it took for them to snap out of it, the knights snapped into action and began to start forward when out from the shadows appeared a multitude of unkempt bandits with their swords drawn.

"Shit." Syaoran cursed as he realized that they were surrounded.

-

At the sound of Syaoran's booming voice Sakura had woken up from her slumber confused. She hardly processed the idea of a man down, being that she was _very_ disoriented from her rest. She rubbed her eyes with her fists, and then slowly crept up to the window. With the little remaining campfire outside she could make out a few bodies and saw as they all grabbed someone dressed unlike the rest of the knights in their armor. She squinted her eyes to try to focus her eyes a little better when she suddenly fell backwards back onto the floor as the carriage began to move forward at a noticeably faster pace than she was accustomed to. Now the poor girl was even more confused than before, why would the group start moving out now in the middle of the night?

As the auburn haired maid slowly got back up she noticed Kero was still sleeping, and laughed. To think she was in the middle of being kidnapped and she was laughing! But then again, she did not know that… in her mind the Prince was clearly being a bigger pain than usual. Sakura then decided to peek out the windows again to see if Eriol, or someone who could get him for her, was around so that she might ask why they started out so early without a thing to eat. And it was as she checked all the windows that she noticed something was truly amiss. The horses she could spot were not wearing the proper insignia of the kingdom and the men riding them were not all clad in the standard armor. These men, she slowly began to notice, were for certain not a part of the party she was traveling with and with that thought fear began to fill her young self. Her large emerald eyes began to fill with tears, unsure of what was going on and what fate awaited her.

At first she debated on simply jumping out of the carriage, but she figured she would probably get trampled by the strange men on horses who were following. She then thought to scream, but that could lead to disaster if the men taking her did not realize she was inside the carriage. If they found her there they could sell her to a brothel or other terrible possibilities that made Sakura's goose bumps rise. After a few more minutes of thinking she finally thought to send Kero out so that he might figure out what exactly was happening out there and to possibly get help for their unfortunate situation. So the youth sat back down on the floor and began pleading with the cat-like creature to get up.

"Kero! It is urgent! You must get up we're in danger!!" Sakura exclaimed in a loud whisper as she shook him in attempt to wake him. But all the creature did was roll over, mumble something ineligible to itself, and let out a sigh. Frustrated, Sakura picked up the creature and continued to attempt to get him to wake up. "Please Kero! Stop it. You can sleep later, when we know our lives are not in any sort of danger."

"It's still night yet. Sakura, why in the world are you awake and why are you waking me up!?" Kero responded after a minute or so, sounding rather groggy and a tad annoyed.

"We've been captured or kidnapped or something Kero! You need to go back and find everyone to get us help!" Sakura said in a rush as she carried the creature toward to window. "I'm going to send you out this window because there are fewer men on this side. You should fall close to the ground before you start flying just so that it does not look suspicious."

"Alright, but Sakura this carriage is moving.. how will I know where to find you after I get the men?" Kero asked, suddenly wide awake with a noticeably mature tone suddenly in his voice.

"They are highly trained knights, I'm sure they'll be able to track down the carriage because of the trail it shall leave behind it."Sakura replied slowly, her worry becoming more apparent, "Just go Kero, and hurry."

-

Surrounded by a gang of bandits would make any man nervous and even fearful, but this was the Crown Prince with his elite collection of knights. Fear was not in their vocabulary. The group was easily outnumbered but that was not anything to be worried about. With their swords drawn, each man took on at least five men, putting most out of their misery or a few close to it. The clanging of swords was slowly becoming overtaken by the sound of collapsing men who had obviously met their match under the stars and moonlight. The way the two groups fought were clearly different from any person's eye, trained or not. The bandits fought rampantly, constantly attacking as if they were trying to get the situation over with as soon as possible. But in their frantic and uneven movements, they left many openings which the knights easily took advantage of. The knights fought smartly, knowing their opponents were not formally trained as they were, played the defensive and simply waited for an opening.

After less than twenty minutes, the band had been taken down and the Crown Prince had the leader of the troop on the ground with a silver blade pressed to his throat. The older man was already bleeding from a large gash on his lower abdomen and he kept trying to move his arms to stop the blood flow. It was pointless, the wound was big enough for him to simply bleed to death and the sword pressed to his neck merely ensured the death in his future.

"Where have they taken the load?" Syaoran asked with fire burning in his eyes, after all it was one thing for a common man to be robbed but a Crown Prince?! It was unheard of and this man and his band were going to pay.

"Like I'd reveal sucha thing to you. I ain't your slave." The man had the gall to answer with such disrespect and defiance it almost made the whole band laugh.

"I am the Crown Prince of the Nation, so the likes of you and your men are my slaves. Now I demand you tell me this instant lest I have you die a slow and painful death, starting by ripping of each of your fingers and toes one by one." Syaoran yelled as his furry grew, "But if you cooperate I'll be just and end your pain swiftly."

"You must think me a weak man if you think I'd obey our worthless Prince. You've never done a thing for me, I owe ya nothing." The man replied, thought his fierceness was beginning to diminish and his eyes were beginning to get glossy.

"Why I ought to-" Syaoran muttered as he raised his sword as if to swing it at the man, but before his sword could even land the man pulled out a concealed blade of his own and stabbed himself right in the heart. He made a few gurgling sounds and coughed up some blood before finally leaving this world for the next.

"What do we do now?" A knight quizzed somewhat boldly after a few minutes passed.

"She needs help!" Kero screamed as he flew into the grouping of men, directing the majority of his attention to Syaoran since he was the leader of the group.

"Where have they taken the carriage?" Syaoran asked intently

"North-East going up toward the mountains, but last I saw they were still on a path so they should still have left their tracks behind." Kero informed as he tried to catch his breath a little.

"So they know of her presence inside the carriage?" Eriol added just before Syaoran was about to command that they were all to set out.

"As far as we knew, they did not. But if they stop anytime soon and actually check what is inside they shall know. There's nowhere for her to hide." Kero said with deep worry in his little brown eyes and tone of voice.

"Then we must set out now and retrieve what is ours." Syaoran announced, then swiftly walked over to his horse, mounting it, before returning his attention to his knights, "We shall make haste, and catch these fools using their own tactics."

And without another moment wasted, all the men rushed to where their horses had been tied only to notice that half of them were missing. The bandits had also managed to hijack their horses as well as their carriage. The men discussed amongst themselves who would take what horse and who would have to stay behind and take care of the dead bodies. It took them approximately five minutes to sort out, seeing as no one really wants to be on corpse duty, but once all was decided they select men set out going a fierce pace. Kero flew slightly overhead so that he could help lead them where he went and hopefully be able to spot the carriage again.

-

Within the carriage, huddled on the floor, sat the emerald-eyed girl in the fetal position and shaking. She was too scared to move around or anything for fear that they would realize her presence. Often times she had overheard Lian gossiping to other maids about the horror of girls being kidnapped and the terrible fates that awaited them. In short, the lucky ones were the ones who were killed in the first few days of being captured. Sakura was basically scarring herself even more with such terrorizing thoughts, but she could not help it. Without Kero around to cheer her up or comfort her or at the very least be there, she found herself becoming like that of a small child; afraid.

Upon realizing how silly it must be for a young lady of fifteen to be acting in such an insufferably childish manner she shook her head to try to snap herself out of it. She also took a few deep breaths, quiet ones of course, in another attempt to collect her thoughts like any other adult would. After several minutes, she had calmed herself down, though the fear of possibilities was still there. Now instead of just staying in that corner of the carriage half hidden under a blanket she figure she would try to look for something to use as a weapon or somewhere she could hide. Most of the things Queen Yelan had packed for the journey were on the outside of the carriage, and even then what was inside was not anything that Sakura could defend herself with aside from a needle which would not do much anyway. But what Sakura did notice was that there was some space under the padded bench where she had been sitting. She figured when necessary she would just throw herself in there and pray to the gods for the best.

It truly is a pity that Sakura had not ducked into her hiding spot as soon as she found it, because as she sat there somewhat collected on the floor the footsteps on the roof were getting tired of standing on it. There were, after all, three men standing on top of the carriage and it was obvious that sooner or later at least one of them would get tired of clinging to the roof and want to swing inside of the carriage. And that was exactly what ended up happening. Before Sakura could blink, the door literally flew open and in came a tanned raven-haired young man wearing tattered clothing and a bandana. After the boy landed, with the door still wide open, he spotted her and a big smile crept across his face.

"Well would ya look what we caught 'ere." The man stated as he analyzed Sakura with his eyes making her want to squirm. "Ain't ya a little precious one. How would ya like to come home with me. You'd be a lovely present fo meself."

"I-I.." Sakura tried to speak but the words were not really coming to her. The fear she felt now was paralyzing and to be frank she was surprised that she was still breathing.

And as the young man looked her over another man from the roof leaned over so that he could peek at what his comrade had found. The second man smiled widely and then disappeared back on top of the carriage, but she could hear him yelling the new found information with the other men riding alongside and around the carriage. Sakura's stomach was doing knots and flips, and here bright emerald eyes were opened wide with terror as she watched the raven-haired man take a step closer to her. She tried inching back, but she was already against the wall with no place to go. And just as she saw the stranger reach out she ducked down and shut her eyes tight with her hands in front of them just in case.

But then, from above the two inside the carriage heard a body from on top of the carriage drop and slide off the roof. Confused because of the sudden halt of movement, though thoroughly thankful, Sakura peeked from behind her fingers and saw that the man was just as confused as her. He was leaning out the still wide open door trying to figure out what was going on. But the more seconds that passed, Sakura heard another body drop above her and she noticed that the bandits riding alongside were thinning out. She then heard the whizzing of an arrow and saw as it pierced the raven-haired man's arm on the opposite side of the carriage from her. He immediately pulled out the arrow, but Sakura did not need a long look at it. She could tell that it was an arrow of Celeste, so Kero must have come through for her and found the men.

Cautiously, Sakura stood up against the wall and looked out the windows. She felt great relief upon seeing the familiar Celestian knights beginning to gain on the carriage. She felt extreme happiness when she spotted Eriol riding alongside the window. She wanted to jump out of the window to his safety, but the windows were too small and she was just so tired and frustrated she wanted to simply sit back and let her eyes flow out crystal tears.

"No! Sakura you have to be strong!" Yelled Eriol from outside the carriage trying to urge his horse forward faster, "You must try to knock him down! Hit him out of the carriage so that we can get rid of him!"

Without question, Sakura turned her attention to the bandit opposite her who was currently throwing daggers at the approaching knights. He was too preoccupied to notice her, so Sakura looked under one of the benches and found the small trunk that Yelan had packed full of clothes specially made just for her. She knew she only had one shot, so she dragged the trunk across from the man and set herself against the wall with her feet in front of it. She mentally counted to three and then forced forward the trunk with her feet while braced against the wall. The trunk slid right into the back of the man's knees forcing him to bend forward and tumble out of the carriage with the trunk following him out. Sakura then rushed over to the door and peeked out with her hands holding tight to the walls.

"Jump out!" Shouted one of the knights that Sakura had failed to notice in the past few days of traveling, "This is headed down a cliff! You must get out!"

"It's going too fast for us to be able to stop it! You have to get out!" Kero added from overhead trying to convince the fearful maiden.

"Just leap out! I shall catch you!" Yelled the last person Sakura would ever have expected. Thinking her ears were deceiving her, she leaned out a little farther and caught sight of the Crown Prince himself trying to convince her to jump out the moving carriage onto his horse.

"I cannot! I shall surely fall to my death!" Sakura cried with tears now running down her face.

"Please! Just do it! You must trust me, lest you want to die!" Syaoran continued, his amber eyes pleading with her. Though he did not like the girl, or even know her, he refused to have someone in his party lose their life- especially in a situation where they could possibly be saved.

Crying and shaking, Sakura stood leaning against the doorway scared of what to do. Her body would lean forward as if it wanted to jump but then it would lean backward as if it were just as fearful as she was. After minutes of contemplating Sakura was about to try to leap out toward the Crown Prince when suddenly the door of the carriage swung shut, injuring two of her fingers and pushing her back to the other side of the carriage. The force of being thrown backward into a wall made Sakura begin to cry even more than before, unable to handle herself in the situation. And as she sat there with bleeding fingers and an aching back she thought that she was surely going to meet her end.

But then all at once, she heard a boom and in front of her landed the Crown Prince himself. He spared no time to assess her injuries, he simply grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. Syaoran then went back to the doorway opening and skillfully landed safely on the back of his white horse. He then let Sakura move drop forward a bit so she was now sitting side saddle in front of him with his one arm still protectively clutching her waist just to ensure that she would not fall off or faint or something women would do that would make his life more difficult.

After getting her, the horse's gallops slowed and eventually stopped and the entire group watched as the carriage fell over the edge of the cliff not more than a mile off. They then turned back and went back to the camp where they were met with the men who had to stay behind. The other knights dismounted straight away and began telling the others of the great adventure they missed, but Syaoran took his time and waited for Eriol to dismount first. Eriol then strolled over and stood beside the horse, ready to catch the maiden off the horse. He safely took her a few steps back and watched as his cousin dismounted and walked toward them. Syaoran's amber eyes locked into Sakura's still fearful and panicked emerald ones before he spoke.

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE DO NOT TAKE CARRIAGES OR WOMEN!" He shouted in the most shrill and scary tone any in the group had ever heard. "Trouble always follows! So do me a favor and get the hell out of here, you stupid wench."

-

_A decent length chapter I should think. I've also realized I'll never be able to complete this story to my full satisfaction before the summer ends, because this is going to be at least ten chapters and I've only just reached five. Oh well. And my reviewers! I feel so appreciated now! So please continue with your love and I'll continue writing._

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies_


	6. Thinking, thinking, thinking

All I've Ever Wanted

"_But wait! I am mistaken! For you see, I've done you the honor of calling you a 'woman'! Let me correct myself, you're nothing more than a stupid girl-child who is a waste of space and resources." The Prince continued his eyes double as fierce in starlit sky, "And hear me when I say, I will get rid of you so that you may return to whatever trivial life you lived before you took the job of risking mine."_

_-_

"Sakura?"Eriol called as he entered the tent that had been set aside for Sakura's exclusive use until it was decided what to do with her. Three days had already passed since the incident and it seemed as if they were going to be making permanent camp in that forest.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry I must've finally dozed off." Sakura replied with an embarrassed smile as she sat up from the cot that Eriol had 'donated' to her and grabbed the sheets to cover her bare arms. Sakura had hardly left the tent, not even to perform her usual duty of cooking for the group. To put it simply she was stung by the words the Prince had spoken to her. At first she had tried to convince herself it did not matter, but somewhere in her mind she was giving into the part of her that was sick of trying to act all grown up. She was hurt and there is not any other way to put it.

"You finally fell asleep? I'm sorry to have woken you up, I'll just go then." Eriol immediately stated with guilt knowing that Sakura had not been able to really rest since the entire incident. He suspected she was scared of something like that happening again, so he made sure that extra guards were on watch and in excellent view of her tent… you know, just for security precautions. He was about to exit the room when she stopped him.

"Oh, no it's fine. I was not having a very good dream anyway." Sakura explained as she grabbed a nearby shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Tell me why you've come. Any news?"

"I'm afraid we'll be stuck here for at least two more days." Eriol announced not so happily because it just furthered the awkward hold the group was in, "You'd expect it to be easy for noble Knights to buy horses but we've no such luck since we have the Celestian insignia on nearly everything we own."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but should that not help? I would think so far as to believe discounts would be involved." Sakura wondered as she tilted her head at her friend in genuine confusion.

"If we were still in Celeste? Sure! Things would be free! But we're on the border of Lumina countryside. The people resent us out here and unless we want to make some sort of national incident, we're stuck waiting." Eriol informed a slightly annoyed tone. To be honest he just wanted to get on with the journey, because eventually they would meet the end of it in Lumina. It was there where he was hoping to find the exact location of his beauty..

"You mean we're not in Celeste anymore?" Sakura asked a little shocked. She had not realized they had traveled long enough to be in a different country.

"Well, speaking technically, we are in Celestian Territory. It's just the Luminian people in the countryside always seem to forget that." Eriol said as he turned and peaked outside the tent to see what was going on.

"So… he is still angry with me I take it?" Sakura stated after a silence of a few minutes. She was not looking at Eriol anymore, she was looking down at her hands with a slight hint of anger herself.

"I'm afraid so, to be honest I don't think you should leave your tent. If he saw you he might blow up at you again." Eriol replied and then looked at her. He saw that she was clearly upset, and trying to hide it, so he continued, "He speaks harshly. Nobody blames you for hiding out and I know that any of the men here would do the same."

"I suppose.. but Eriol I'm no coward. I've done nothing to deserve anything I've received." Sakura muttered as she laid back down in her cot, in a suddenly worse mood.

"I know. And not to mention the shock you must be feeling from what those terrible men put you through… But on the bright side Kero should be back soon. He flies fast." Eriol reminded the young girl as he walked away from the door and sat down beside her again. "The situation is delicate, and I must advise that you just stay here. It would just be a lot safer like that you know?"

Sakura merely looked back up at her friend with her emerald eyes getting increasing filled with crystal tears. She felt stupid for the tears that were collecting in her eyes, but there was nothing she could do to prevent them from forming. She could, however, do her best to prevent them from rolling down her porcelain cheeks. Not wanting her only friend to know of her sadness, she turned her head away and tried to cover her face with her palms. But her hands were taken away and a warm hand wiped the stray crystal tear that was slowly rolling down her cheek.

"Why do you cry?" He asked in a whispered tone, as he slowly withdrew his hand and tried making direct eye contact with the girl.

"I do not know.. my Lady would be so disappointed in me." Sakura murmured as she shook her head in confusion. Never had she had such a strange rush of emotions… the event she went through was scarring. Had she not been saved she could have been sold, raped or a number of other terrible things. And she had been yelled at before by her superiors but for some reason this stung. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, the usual feelings associated with being yelled at so brutally. But for some reason she felt particularly disappointed in herself for doing nothing. She felt like she had let someone down… she even felt a strange sort of disappointment in herself.

"Be strong, like the outrageous girl I met hardly a week ago." Eriol said softly, offering her a small smile and a quick squeeze of her hand. "I must go, but promise me you will return to your old self by the time Kero makes his way back. He should not be more than an hour."

Sakura watched her friend's back as he disappeared through the flaps of her tent and then let out a long exhale. She reclined in her cot and just stared at the ceiling of her tent. She was not sure what was coming over her, she was normally able to get over things fast but for some reason this was different. And to be honest, that scared her a little bit. Maybe being around so many men was what was affecting her? She shook her head, she knew that was not the reason why. Deep down she knew it could be because for some reason she found that arrogant Prince attractive. And though she would obviously never act on it, because his conceitedness and rudeness or the sheer fact that he was far out of her rank, she figured it was only natural for a girl to want a man she found attractive to be pleased with her. And since he clearly hated her, it had to be the reason why she was so distraught. Perhaps she really was more like those tittering and chattering gossip girls who glare at her throughout the castle in Celeste.

"I'm better than that." Sakura muttered to herself as her emerald eyes changed to a harder look, just shy of being a glare. She despised those stupid girls who flirted with castle guards and did nothing but gossip about other people's lives. She then began to fear that this sudden emotion due to the opposite sex, Syaoran specifically, would turn her into one of those girls. She shuddered at the thought. She wished she was back with Yelan, where she was sheltered from the other sex aside from her time at court. But at least during those meetings she was never forced to talk to anyone…

-

Kero was soaring through the air with as much haste as his small body could muster. Around his neck was a string with two letters attached to it which were fluttering in the wind as he continued his flight. He was not told what the content of the letters were exactly, all he was told was that one was for the Crown Prince and the other was for Sakura. He also knew the obvious, that both letters were written in the Queen's hand because such trivial matters could not be brought up to the King. The small flying creature pondered the possibilities of what the letters could contain… he prayed that whatever they said would make things better for Sakura, but he had to be honest with himself and know that the chances of that were slim. He shook his head, he could not be distracted if he was trying to get there as fast as possible. The camp was within sight, so at the very least the small creature knew he would be able to deliver the letters and finally find out what they said.

"I'll visit Sakura first." Kero said to himself as he was becoming able to see tiny figures and the shapes of tents, '_She's probably quite lonely... I'm sure she would be happy for my company._'

-

"My Lord, the creature is within sight according to our men outside." A guard reported after he entered the largest tent which belonged to the Crown Prince. "He should not be more than a few minutes at the rate he is flying. He must be in a hurry… good news for us perhaps?"

"Quit your pathetic attempts of trying to get on my good side." Syaoran immediately responded, as he sat at the makeshift table looking over various maps and letters by candlelight. "The creature is on the girl's side, any signs of eagerness on his part would make us worry you fool."

"R-Right Sire, I-" The guard attempted but he was silenced with no more than a wave of Syaoran's hand.

"Silence. I did not ask your opinion or say you were in the place where you could speak." Syaoran stated coldly as he put down the letter he had been reading for just enough time to glare at the poor guard. As his gaze returned to his work he continued his train of thought, "Simply intercept the creature so that he can give us whatever information we need then let him go to the child or whatever he planned on doing."

-

After some time, Kero was eventually able to make his way into Sakura's tent. To his surprise it took much longer than he had originally anticipated. It took him at least fifteen to twenty more minutes until he finally arrived at the camp, and right when he was about to burst into Sakura's tent he had been stopped. Or more accurately put, he was snatched out of the air and carried into the main tent where he was forced to deliver the letter. While there he was also given a small interrogation, just to be sure that the letter was truly from the Queen's hand and approved to be written by the King. He was also asked why it took him so long to return to camp and if he had wasted precious time dawdling when he was on a mission. Needless to say, Kero had gotten frustrated and aggravated with the unexpected questioning. So by the time he actually was able to enter Sakura's tent he was far past exhausted.

"Kero?! What has happened? You look so exhausted!" Sakura exclaimed a little too quickly, though it was not noticed by the small flying creature. She had actually been anticipating his arrival, peeking out her tent constantly to try to see if Kero had arrived yet.

"Not only had I traveled back from Celeste to here, I was interrogated and all this ridiculousness." Kero huffed as he shook his head. "But that is beside the point. I've a letter for you!"

"A letter?" Sakura gasped with her eyes glowing, it was not often that she could put her skill of reading to much use… aside from learning a recipe here and there. And in any case, she knew there was only one person who would be writing her a letter.

"It's from the Queen herself. I was in the very same room as her when she wrote it." Kero responded proudly, as he pulled out the letter from behind him and unwound it from the string which was attached to he handed to her he carefully added, "I did not watch her write it though.. I was actually eating…"

"Yes of course.." Sakura replied not really listening to whatever Kero had just said. She picked up the letter and broke the red wax seal shaped as a crescent moon on the back of the letter. As she opened it she smelt the still fresh ink on the parchment paper, as her eyes turned to read the words..

_My Dearest Sakura,_

_I have received terrifying reports of the altercation that had happened not more than three days prior to your receiving this letter. How truly horrifying! I was frightened beyond belief upon initially hearing about it. I am highly relieved that all is well now. Thank the gods that my son has saved you from those terrible thieves! I knew you would be in perfect condition with such prestigious and well trained men in your presence to protect you and your honor. _

_Now, my dear, I understand that you may be unsure of what to do now after such a catastrophe. I assure you all will be perfectly fine. I have urged my son to proceed on this journey with the utmost haste so you will arrive at the Spring Palace in Lumina where we shall be reunited. But yes, that does entail that you must continue on this journey with this group, and in particular, my son. I understand he comes off very harsh, but I know that somewhere in him lies a kind man. And if anyone can bring that out of him, it is you. You know very well the stories of his childhood, and I should hint that he needs to know the truth sooner rather than later. Perhaps through that you can somehow bring the kindness out of him or at least open his mind to the truth. Even if he does not believe you or listen, at the very least the truth will have been offered to him._

_I've always dreamed of my son being someone totally different than what he comes off to be, but with his father's influence I fear he will never be who he ought to be. So perhaps I had an ulterior motive for sending you away with him on this mission of his. I should also mention that this is likely your last journey you'll ever make as an unattached lady, so I thought it would be particularly special if I sent you on trip with my son, rather than a boring trip with me. Think of it as your last adventure! I'm well aware that you have only just turned fifteen, but I have good reason to have you start your season soon. I have received various offers for your hand, my dear. Though nothing is set in stone as of yet, I will make many inquiries for you, so rest assured._

_Aside from that, I have no more words for you, my dear. Lian sends her regards as do I. I will see you in no more than two months, in the Spring Palace. Be excited, young one, it will be your first journey there and it has been recently refurbished in the unique and classic Luminian style. I miss you terribly and don't you dare forget it!_

_Wishing you all the best,_

_Yelan_

As Sakura set the pieces of parchment down, she felt a mix of emotion stir in her. She was initially happy, because had not received word from Yelan in what seemed to be forever. But the words written were confusing to her young mind. The truth is that Sakura knew she was young, so how could she know how to change a person? As far as she knew, a person was who they were and nobody could force a change to happen. And why would she be the one to do it? He hated her. Syaoran would not ever want to speak another word to her after the incident that happened, since it was apparently her fault and all. Yelan talked as if she knew the entire situation, but she knew nobody recounted the part of the story when Syaoran said all of those terrible things to her. Just thinking of the intensity behind his words made her shudder.

But then there was this sudden talk of marriage, which was the most confusing part of the letter to Sakura. Marriage was not usually brought up for a girl until her sixteenth birthday. And if the girl child was of low importance, as she was, it would often be pushed back until it was at the master or mistress' convenience to arrange. But apparently she had already been asked for… and from what Yelan vaguely hinted at in her letter, she had been asked for by at least two or three people. She could feel a slight fluttering in her stomach, a rather unexpected fluttering, and faintly blushed. Sakura leaned back for a moment to think what it would be like if she was married. She found it a strange thought, she was still so young yet…

-

"This is absolutely preposterous." Syaoran spat as he tossed the parchment down onto his makeshift table and stood up. He nearly tipped over the table with the mere force of him rising from his sitting state. He then turned to his cousin, who was currently seated on the goose feather cot across from the table. "I swear, if my father had time to actually hear this matter he would throw that wench into exile so she would not be a nuisance to us anymore."

"So I take it your mother does not see your point of view on the matter then?" Eriol responded as he looked up to his cousin who was clearly fuming. He chuckled a bit, because it was funny how this grown man was acting like a child who was not getting his way.

"Of course not! The whole reason that baby is here is because of her so why would my mother change her mind!? Absolutely ridiculous." Syaoran exclaimed as he paced back and forth a few more times. He then grabbed the letter off the desk and threw it at his cousin. "Just read it. Read what my mother has the nerve to say, under the guise of being a caring and concerned mother."

"Yes, yes I'll read it. Now will you stop acting like you are a toddler and act like the nineteen year old you're supposed to be." Eriol teased, then looked down at the parchment paper tossed in front of him.

_Dearest Syaoran,_

_I've received no letters regarding your progress on your journey, so it goes without saying how surprised I was to find that the only news I hear is quite frightful. To think a gang of bandits would be so bold as to attack royalty! It is such wonderful news to hear that nobody is injured and nothing special was stolen by those wicked men. And I must thank you to the highest degree for saving my sweet lady-in-waiting from the horrors in which she might have endured should the bandits had their way with her. When I had originally heard she had been kidnapped I feared that the poor child might be scarred for life, but you have done such a great thing by saving her. Surely the gods will look favorably upon you for your heroic act._

_In regards to your request, I'm afraid I do not understand why you need get rid of my dear Sakura. At first I could see the hassle of a carriage, but luckily for you the carriage is no longer in your possession. Therefore, she can no longer be associated it and you have no more trouble. You simply need to have her ride a horse on her own and she shall be no problem at all. If anything she is a perfect benefit to you, she cooks for you and offers a different company than the usual band of men you travel with. Get to know her my dear, she could teach all the proper manners that you put off learning because of all the training you just had to do. You will be King after all, so you must know how to act appropriately. You need only ask for her help, and she shall teach you everything you'll ever need to know._

_With all that said, it is clear that Sakura shall remain with you for the remainder of your journey. She is an aid to you; I would be hindering you if I took her away. I will however suggest that you make haste and get your task over and done with. Since you have expressed a slight loathing toward her, I suppose the smart thing to do would be to just hurry to the Summer Palace. But you need not take my advice; take all the time in the world if it should please you._

_My deepest regards,_

_Your Mother_

_P.S.- Your father could not find the time to write you himself, but I'm sure he would at least meant to wish you well._

"I bet she did not even bring this up to my father." Syaoran huffed as he threw himself beside his cousin on the cot, "She always does this. She tries to sully my father's name constantly. I don't know why she feels in necessary to do that. It's irritating. And if she was not the Queen, it would be treason."

"I'm sure the Queen would not mean it like that. Your mother is known for being a benevolent person and she's loved by the entire kingdom." Eriol assured as he lightly patted his cousin's shoulder with a sympathetic look. He had known for years that Syaoran resented his mother because she was absent from the majority of his youth. To Syaoran, Yelan only became interested in his life when it was too late. Eriol knew what a maternal creature Yelan really was, just by having a conversation with her he could feel the motherly love shining off of her. "You should not try to interpret her words so harshly."

"Eriol if you knew her the way I do, you would not be so quick to defend her." Syaoran sighed as he shook his head, "If my father has taught me anything, it's that women cannot be trusted. They are conniving creatures with only their own benefit in mind. There is some sort of plan being set in motion right now, mark my words cousin."

"Really, you must get over this paranoia." Eriol said as he stood up and brushed himself off, " It's very unbecoming. And in anycase, you have been cooped up in here for far too long. Let's get you outside for some fresh air, eh?"

"Alright, alright. Perhaps some fresh air will calm my nerves…" Syaoran chuckled as he stood up and began walking toward the opening flap of the tent, "Be sure to inform the men that first thing tomorrow morning we will b-"

"We will what?" Eriol asked as he followed his cousin out into the camp. His eyes squinted with the sudden impact of the sun, so he averted his gaze from the sky down onto his cousin's back. A brow on his face rose as to why his cousin had stopped walking and talking so suddenly.

"What the hell is she doing out?" Syaoran said as his eyes adjusted to his usual glare on the young girl who was now dressed. She was not wearing simple cotton dress, instead she had on a some violet colored gown which was covered by a long grey cloak. It first struck him as unusual, since the past few days she had been dressed much plainer and far beneath him. Now she almost looked almost average. Almost. "She really has the nerve to show her face?"

Eriol followed his cousin's gaze as he spotted the young girl who caused Syaoran to feel such hatred. He chuckled a bit at his cousin's expense but what else was new? He noted that her expression was clearly different than it was no more than an hour ago when she was moping around in bed. She was actually going about her normal work, asking some men to set up a proper fire pit so that she could cook something with the few pots and pans that had been left behind in from the scuffle that occurred a few days ago. She seemed to be quite content; walking around with ease as she spoke with Kero her flew beside her. It was good to see her like that. Whatever the Queen had written to her had brought back the fire in Sakura.

"Just relax, Cousin." Eriol shrugged as he patted his cousin's shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look, "You've no reason to be upset, she's going about her work. Just ignore her."

"I just cannot relax with her walking around as if she were an equal. Not only is she a woman, she has no rank and certainly no looks worth staring at." Syaoran remarked as he rolled his eyes.

"Do you really find her so unworthy to stare at?" Yamazaki quizzed as he popped up from what seemed to be nowhere. He gave, what is assumed to be, a confused look at the Crown Prince, though it was always so hard to tell with his squinty eyes. "She may be young, but that would be part of the appeal. She's like an angel, and if I were not betrothed to Lady Chiharu…"

"Pssht. I'd expect such a statement from Eriol." Syaoran laughed as he turned to reenter his tent with Yamazaki following, "What's happened to you? You're losing you're touch."

Eriol did not follow right away. Instead he just stood there for a moment, staring into the sky and thinking. His act was getting weak, but he could not help it. It was getting so tiring to keep his act a secret from everyone around him. He was in love with a girl who was out there somewhere, hopefully thinking about him as much as he is thinking about her. He was in love with a girl who was of no rank, no connections, and certainly of no importance. She was a girl of tainted blood, tainted Luminian blood. Everything about her was wrong for him, if he were to choose her he would lose everything; rank, importance, and respect. But he could not find it in him to care. She was everything to him. There was nobody in the world who understood him like she does; it had been nearly six months since he last talked to her. Oh, how he longed to just see her face for a moment. She promised to wait for him as long as she lived and he did not doubt her. His only concern was what her family would force her to do, she could only refuse them for so long and he would never want for her to be under scrutiny because of his love for her. In a word, the situation was hopeless and the easy thing to do would be to forget about her and move on. But he would not take the easy way out, he would never give up.

"Tomoyo, I love you. Wherever you may be I will always love you." Eriol exhaled as he smirked up at the sky, knowing that he may not know what she's doing right now he at least new she was under the same sky. Normally he would have pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, but Sakura had brought the truth out of him and he had no desire to suppress them again. He shook his head, turned around, and entered the tent to join his cousin and friend.

-

In the large bed chamber with pastel yellow walls, dark wood floors, and decorated in the latest fashion, the room sit in a frenzy of clothes. Strewn everywhere were clothes of all sorts being sorted into various wardrobes and chests. The ornate vanity was covered in clothes and more jewels than any ordinary man would ever see in his life time. It was all because the Queen was currently preparing for her own journey to the Summer Palace in what once was the Kingdom of Lumina. Her journey would be a direct route from Celeste to Lumina, and there would be no stopping or anything at all. She just wanted to arrive in the Summer Palace as soon as possible, so she had eliminated all stops and distractions from her course. Once she would arrive at the Summer Palace she would busy herself with the life there, and pretend for a while she was not a part of such a cold Kingdom. But before she could attend to any of that she had to pack all she would need, the only trouble was how does one know what they need? And it was only between her and her elderly maid, Lian, to pack since she had sent Sakura away.

"But M'Lady, you still have revealed no truth to the girl!" Lian exclaimed as she pulled out several more light dresses to be packed away in the trunks, "She still knows nothing about her heritage, her technically still intact arrangement to marry your son, and that she is a Princess!"

"Lian, do you honestly think I could simply write all that out in a letter?" Yelan replied in her usual regal manner from her position on her vanity chair, "In any case the child is far too young to know the truth. I figure a few more white lies will eventually prepare her for the truth. And the way my plan is going, they will be much better acquaintances and who knows… maybe they shall fall in love."

"Lovely wishes, M'lady. But I daresay they are foolish." Lian stated with much regret in her voice. She had seen many things in her long years of life, she knew better than to rely on hope. "We are in no place to change what has already been planned."

"Oh Lian, do not be so drab." Yelan sighed as she stood up from her chair and walked toward the window. She had made a promise to her best friend the day Nadeshiko died. Their children would marry so that Nadeshiko could rest well in heaven above. And Yelan would do everything in her power to push for this, "I'm not hoping Lian. This is destiny."

-

_Okay so, you all hate me by know don't you? Well none of you can hate me quite as much as my roommate who is trying to sleep.. but I'm typing so damn loud I feel terrible. Can I give you all advice and say don't go to college? It really takes over your life. But I've done all I can and written this chapter with what bits of spare time I have managed to find. I have a break soon so I'll try to write the entire next chapter then. Thanks to all of you reading! Please find a spare moment to review!_

_Sincerely,_

_LoveMelodies_


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